Outlaw Star: A New Dawn
by Nya1
Summary: Gene and the gang discover the existence of a unique artifact that can control time. Then something goes very wrong on the mission.
1. The Meeting

Outlaw Star: A New Dawn  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Outlaw Star characters...sad, but some day...  
  
Chapter 1: The Meeting  
  
Jim Hawking yawned and ran a hand through his dirty blond hair as he sat in front of his laptop. He was looking into how much money Starwind and Hawking Enterprises had left in its account. The only number he kept seeing was zero.  
  
The sound of the door opening caught Jim's attention and heavy footsteps thumping away could be heard.  
  
"Hey! I'M HOME!" Gene Starwind's familiar voice rang. Jim let out an exasperated sigh and stalked out of his room to confront his partner with their current problem.  
  
"Gene! Where have you been? Did you find us a job?" Jim demanded.  
  
The outlaw frowned at his eleven-year-old partner. "Jeez, Jim! Don't I even get a hello?"  
  
"Hello. Well, did you?"  
  
"Yeah, actually. Where's Mel?"  
  
"Out buying groceries. What's the job?"  
  
"Man! I thought she'd be home to make me a snack. I'm starving!"  
  
"GENE!"  
  
Gene held up his arms as if to fend Jim off. "Okay, okay. Chill out kid. I got a job from Fred Lowe."  
  
"Fred Lowe? What does he want?"  
  
"I don't know. He wants us to meet him later at some restaurant called The Star Room on Korral 4 for details."  
  
"Korral 4? That's not very far from here, is it? We really need to save fuel," Jim said in a worried tone.  
  
Gene frowned again. "You worry too much, Jim. Just relax for a change."  
  
"Well, someone has to keep track of all this stuff or else we'd be bankrupt."  
  
"What, are you saying that I couldn't handle it myself?"  
  
"Well, you couldn't!"  
  
"Why you-you take that back, you brat!"  
  
"Make me!"  
  
Jim and Gene growled at each other, their eyes locked, challenging the other.  
  
"I'm home!" Melfina announced in her singsong voice as she entered the house carrying a bag full of groceries. She stopped when she saw them glaring at each other in anger. "Um...what's going on?"  
  
"Nothing, Mel. Jim and I were just waiting for you to get home so that we could go meet Fred. Right, Jim?" Gene said in a tight voice.  
  
"Whatever," Jim muttered back.  
  
"Okay. I'll just put these groceries away and I'll be right out," Melfina said cheerfully, oblivious to the tension in the room. The bio-android disappeared into the kitchen.  
  
Gene grunted and flopped down onto the couch. Jim frowned and sat across from him, arms crossed stubbornly. The two waited for Melfina in silence.  
  
After a moment, she returned and looked at the two. "Okay. I'm ready."  
  
"Alright," Gene said rising. "Then let's go."  
  
  
Humans had always been odd beings. Such competitive and ambitious creatures. Gillium saw Gene Starwind and Jim Hawking as two of the oddest. The two were always "butting heads" as one of their phrases go.  
  
Today, the captain of the Outlaw Star and his young partner had come aboard acting coldly towards one another yet again. How many times had it been this week now? Thirteen? Fourteen? Gillium had, even as sophisticated a system as he was, lost count. After they had taken off from Heifong, Gene had set the Outlaw Star on autopilot, and he and the boy went off their separate ways.  
  
"Are Gene and Jim arguing again, Melfina?" Gillium asked the female bio-android.  
  
Melfina sighed in the tank filled with water, "I'm afraid so, Gillium. They were when I got home this afternoon."  
  
"Oh dear. Those two don't know when to quit," Gillium said in exasperation.  
  
"Are we near Korral 4 yet, Gillium?" Melfina asked.  
  
"As a matter of fact yes. I'll tell Gene and Jim," Gillium said and then accessed the speaker in Gene's room.  
  
"Gene. We'll be approaching Korral 4 in a few minutes."  
  
"Alright, Gil. Thanks. I'm on my way," Gene's roguish voice replied. "Fred's already paid for our clearance and docking so we're home free."  
  
Then Gillium contacted Jim. "We're almost there, Jim."  
  
"Cool, I'll be right down," Jim said in a grouchy tone.  
  
Hmmm...humans. So strange how they could argue over such trivial matters. What had these two argued about now?  
  
  
As he led Melfina and Jim through the busy town of Lioce, the capital city on Korral 4, Gene wondered briefly what kind of mission Fred had in mind for them. He hadn't given Gene any specific details when they'd last spoken. Instead, Fred had seemed hell-bent on talking it over at dinner. He had kept insisting that Gene, Jim, and Melfina join him at the Star Room, some new restaurant in Lionce.  
  
Fred's just too...weird. Gene thought. He glanced back to survey his team for a moment.  
  
Melfina was just walking and looking around at all the stores they were passing by. She looked happy and pleasant, a mild look of curiosity on her pretty face.  
  
Jim was obviously still sulking. He walked with his hands jammed into his pockets, looking at nothing in particular until he noticed Gene looking at him.  
  
"What?" Jim snapped testily. With an indignant grunt, Gene focused his attention back to where they were going. Screw Jim. If he wanted to be a baby then let him!  
  
Gene looked up and noticed that they were fast approaching a huge, elegantly designed building. On the front was sign with neon pink lights shining The Star Room restaurant.  
  
"This is it," Gene said unnecessarily to the others. Together, the three wove their way around the people standing all over the place to get The Star Room's entrance.  
  
They were greeted by a huge hall decorated with expensive looking paintings and pottery displays. There were several tables with navy blue table clothes with vases of white flowers organized neatly. People of all kinds were gathered around the tables, chatting over huge plates of food.  
  
"Welcome to The Star Room! Would you like a table?" a waiter that resembled a penguin said as he saw them.  
  
"We're meeting someone," Gene said absently as his sharp eyes busily searched the tables. Then he spotted a man with short black hair with a red bandana running across his forehead. Two men dressed in black suits and ties were standing beside him. Fred Lowe.  
  
Fred looked up and spotted the trio. "Gene! Oh Gene! There you are!"  
  
"Hey Fred," Gene said to him as he, Melfina, and Jim walked over to join Fred.  
  
Fred stood up and threw his arms around Gene. "I thought you'd never get here! What took you?"  
  
Uncomfortably, Gene wiggled out of Fred's embrace. "Just stuff. Can we get down to business, Fred?"  
  
"Why of course, my friend! My, are we all business today!" Fred giggled and looked over at Jim and Melfina. "Hello Melfina. James, you seem to get bigger every time I see you!"  
  
"It's nice to see you again, Fred," Melfina said politely. Jim just muttered a greeting darkly.  
  
Ignoring them for a moment, Gene focussed on Fred. "So what's the job, Fred? You usually don't drag us off to fancy restaurants just to give us details. What's up?"  
  
The cheery expression on Fred's face died immediately and he motioned for them to sit. He took a breath as they complied.  
  
"Something very precious was stolen from me. Something that is absolutely irreplaceable."  
  
"What is it? A family heirloom or something?" Jim asked.  
  
Fred shook his head. "No. It's something of great power."  
  
"Well, what does it do?" Gene prodded.  
  
"It has...special capabilities," Fred said mysteriously.  
  
Gene was getting impatient. "Like what?"  
  
"Alter time and space. And if who I think stole it indeed has it, we could all be in big trouble."   
  
  
  



	2. The Helix Hourglass

Outlaw Star: A New Dawn  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad I did the characters right. I hope you enjoy the next part.  
  
Chapter 2: The Helix Hourglass  
  
"What are you talking about, Fred?" Gene asked with a frustrated frown. Since when did Fred Lowe become serious about things?  
  
Fred took another deep breath before continuing. "Have any of you ever heard of the Darkman Foundation?"  
  
" Darkman? You mean that wacko scientist who wants to rule the universe as emperor?" Jim replied.  
  
"Yes, James. That's exactly who I'm talking about," Fred said sounding happy for some reason. "His name is Jerok Darkman."  
  
"Well, what about him?" Gene tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice.  
  
"You see, Jerok has this absurd obsession with the study of time. He wants to be the first to discover a way to alter time to his control."  
  
"Yeah? So what's the problem, Fred? Did he steal money from you or something?"  
  
"No, no. It's not that Gene. What he stole is far more valuable than any riches."  
  
"Then stop it with the melodrama and tell us already!"  
  
Fred laughed a little, a sound so feminine that it sent shivers down Gene's spine. Shrugging it off, the outlaw did his best to keep his expression neutral.  
  
"Now, now. Calm down, my friend! I'm getting to that part," Fred chided and giggled again. Gene shuddered. "I recently acquired an ancient artifact called the Helix Hourglass."  
  
"Helix Hourglass? Why's some artifact so important? I thought you said it was something that could control time!" Jim complained.  
  
The humor had completely left Fred's face. "Oh, but it can. The Helix Hourglass is not just any artifact. It was said to have been built and left behind by those who created the Galactic Layline."  
  
"WHAT?!" Gene, Jim, and Melfina all cried at the same time.  
  
"It's true. When I encountered the man, from whom I got it from, he told me to use this piece with caution," Fred said and took a sip of his wine.  
  
"How do you know it works?" Melfina asked, speaking for the first time.  
  
Fred looked at her seriously, "Oh, believe me, Melfina. I know. I thought what Pansy-his name-was saying about it was absolutely ridiculous so I tested the hourglass..."  
  
"And?"  
  
"I ended up meeting myself when I was two years old. And I have no idea how I did it or how I got back!"  
  
"What? Are you sure?"  
  
"Oh yes, Gene. Only I would have had those adorable eyes as a child. And I recognized my parents. There's no doubt about it. The Helix Hourglass is a thing of real time control capabilities."  
  
"Great...so what do you want us to do?" Gene asked.  
  
"I would like the Helix Hourglass back. Jerok and his men were last seen heading towards the outer regions of space."  
  
"Outer regions? Do you mean the Dragon's Lair?"  
  
Fred nodded. Melfina looked confused. "Dragon's Lair?"  
  
"The Dragon's Lair was once one of the richest parts of space because a lot of Dragonite was found there. It's a really hard place to navigate through. There's a lot of interference on radar and unexpected stuff happens," Jim supplied.  
  
"Over the decades, that region of space has become a haven for criminals because all of the Dragonite was mined. You can't go there and not expect to run into trouble," Gene added. "This mission might take us on quite a ride."  
  
"So I take it that you accept?" Fred asked.  
  
"Sure, Fred, but how much are you offering?" Gene answered.  
  
"750,000 wong."  
  
Gene shot out of his seat. "Are you serious?"  
  
Fred nodded. "Absolutely. For something this valuable, I'm willing to pay a bit more. Are you interested?"  
  
"Hell yeah, we are!"  
  
"Wonderful! Now that that's settled, how about we eat? I heard their steak is simply to die for..."  
  
  
Jim was still thinking about Fred's incredible offer when after the three of them left. Fred had treated them to an amazing meal, but Gene seemed anxious to get started on tracking this Jerok Darkman guy down. The outlaw had simply thanked Fred for the meal, endured another one of that man's bear hugs, and led them back to the Outlaw Star.  
  
"Welcome back," Gillium said as they entered the ship.  
  
"Hey, Gil. Anything interesting happen while we were gone?" Jim asked.  
  
"As a matter-" Gillium didn't get to finish as two figures emerged from the interior of the ship.  
  
"Suzuka! Aisha!" Gene exclaimed in surprise. "Hey guys! What are you guys doing here?"  
  
Twilight Suzuka, as usual, was sipping a cup of tea in one hand while the other held her finely crafted wooden sword. Her quiet, stealthy manner was reflected in her dark eyes. It hid the highly skilled and self-sufficient warrior inside.  
  
The loud, rowdy Ctarl Ctarl warrior woman stood proudly beside Suzuka. Aisha's cat/human face and body were very well defined with whiskers and muscles. Her long white hair was pulled back in a careless braid. A wide, ear to ear grin ran across her face.  
  
"We thought we'd come by and see how you all are doing," Suzuka said with a smile.  
  
"We were wondering what ya' were up to!" Aisha added in her gleeful voice.  
  
"We're about to go on a mission to Dragon's Lair. You wanna' come? Fred's offering some major money," Jim said eagerly.  
  
Suzuka blinked. "Dragon's Lair? Why would you want to go there?"  
  
"Come on," Gene interrupted, waving them into the cockpit. "We'll explain while we're on the way."  
  
After the initial take off sequence, Gene put the autopilot into action and explained the situation to Suzuka and Aisha. Jim saw the looks of surprise pass on both women's face at the mention of Fred's bounty. When Gene finished, both Suzuka and Aisha were willing to offer their help.  
  
"Great. Then we'll be just fine," Gene said ecstatically. "How long until we get to the coordinates we set, Gillium?"  
  
"In approximately one hour and thirty minutes if we go at full speed," Gillium replied.  
  
"Then let's go!" Gene hollered and pushed the Outlaw Star to its fastest possible speed. The red grappler ship shot into an incredible pace, seen only as a blur by an outsider's eyes.  
  
"Gene! Five ships are approaching us!" Melfina suddenly cried after a while.  
  
"They're coming in fast!" Gillium added.  
  
Gene glanced down at his radar to see five blinking dots coming quickly into the Outlaw Star's vicinity.  
  
"They're surrounding us, Gene!" Jim cried.  
  
"Looks like we don't have a choice but to fight," Gene muttered. Then he called louder, "Scatter the camera pods, Jim!"  
  
"Right!" Jim's small hands flew over the keyboard and released the camera pods out around them. He looked up and saw several of the round, mechanical cameras spreading out.  
  
"Done!" He declared and glanced up quickly to look at Gene. A small metal mechanism was attached on Gene's right ear and had a small screen for him to see the enemy.  
  
"Releasing grappler arms," Gillium declared. There was a loud clunk as the metal coverings of the grappler arms bolted off. The pair of spidery mechanical red arms jutted out, ready for action.   
  
Gene gripped the controls to the grappler arms tight. "Jim, how are we doing with ammo?"  
  
"We still have 65% left from last time. I told you we should have stocked up when we got back!"  
  
"We'll worry about that later!" Gene said as the Outlaw Star jerked backward sharply to avoid a barrage of gunfire.  
  
"Those are grapplers too!" Gene cried in surprise when the five ships came into view. They were all black and red with an insignia sporting "DF". Each had two sets of grappler arms momentarily ready to do the Outlaw Star some damage. Darkman Foundation.  
  
"Who do you think you are?" a shrill voice suddenly blared on the intercom. "How dare you enter Mr. Darkman's space! Leave at once!"  
  
"Sorry, but we have some business we'd like to discuss with Mr. Darkman," Gene answered heatedly.  
  
"Take your business else where!" the voice screamed and suddenly all five of the ships were closing in on them.  
  
Jim fought with the controls and did a vertical drop. Two of the enemy ships collided into each other and became entangled in one another's arm.  
  
The other three gave chase. They were incredibly fast, to Gene's dismay.  
  
"There's one on top of us!" Melfina warned. Gene propelled the grapplers to grab the arms of the ship right above them. The metal "hands" grasped onto a pair of the other ship's arms. The second pair of grapplers on the ship took hold of the Outlaw Star's and tried to pry them off.  
  
"Shit!" Gene screamed as a second ship fired missiles at them.  
  
"Firing anti-missiles!" Jim announced. Several missiles blasted from the Outlaw Star to meet the oncoming wave of warheads. They met in a dazzling explosion. Debris rained out and sprinkled onto the Outlaw Star.  
  
"Yeah! Alright!" Jim cheered, but his victory was short lived. The third ship was zooming towards them at an alarming rate.   
  
Gene continued to struggle against the other grappler ship. He had a firm grip on the arms, but the second pair was proving to be a real nuisance.  
  
"Alright, sucker. You wanna' play?" Gene muttered. He retracted both arms and grabbed the gun. Then he fired point blank at the ship before they had a chance to react. It exploded in a burst of flames and charred metal.  
  
The force of the blast sent the Outlaw Star flying backwards. All kinds of alarms went off.  
  
"We're losing auxiliary power fast!" Suzuka cried, glancing from her screen quickly.  
  
"They're coming in from both sides!" Aisha screamed, a note of hysteria in her voice.  
  
To Gene's surprise, both grapplers pulled out weapons. They weren't guns like the Outlaw Star. Gene gasped. They were particle beam cannons, a type of weapon that had been banned from manufacturing long ago because of how dangerous they were.  
  
"What are those?" Jim cried.  
  
Little specks of light began to gather inward into the cores of the cannons. They began forming a massive ball of hot light blue light.  
  
"LET"S GET OUTTA' HERE!" Gene yelled, but it was too late. The last thing he remembered was a bright, blinding flash of light that engulfed the ship and immense, sweltering heat...before everything went dark.   



	3. Dr. Darkman

Outlaw Star: A New Dawn  
  
Author's Notes: Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm happy that I got feedback so soon! I hope you like this one too and sorry if any of the profanity offends you.  
  
Chapter 3: Dr. Darkman  
  
When Jim woke up, the first thing he was aware of was the throbbing pain in his head. Slowly sitting up, Jim blinked a few times to focus his eyes. He was surprised to find himself sitting in a dimly lit, concrete walled room. One side had several glowing pink beams running horizontally across. A prison.  
  
Huh? How'd I end up here? Jim thought. He looked around and other forms sprawled about the cell. Getting up slowly, Jim tiptoed over to one.  
  
"Melfina? Melfina!" Jim cried as he turned her over. She stirred and opened her liquid brown eyes. A look of confusion ran through her eyes as she quickly took in her surroundings.  
  
"J-Jim? What happened? Where are we?" Melfina asked and sat up.  
  
"I don't know," Jim said quietly, looking around. There were groans coming from behind them. Jim turned to see Suzuka and Aisha carefully getting up.  
  
"My head hurts!" Aisha immediately moaned, a paw-like hand on her forehead.  
  
"Where are we?" Suzuka murmured after a swift look around.  
  
"From the looks of it, we were captured by Darkman's people," a droll, sarcastic voice mumbled in reply.  
  
Whirling, Jim saw the well-built form of Gene Starwind getting to his feet.  
  
"Gene!" Jim cried.  
  
"Are you okay, Gene?" Melfina asked, gently placing a hand on his bloodied arm.  
  
Gene offered her a grin, "Nah. I'm okay, Melfina. Where are we anyway?"  
  
A smooth, rich voice answered Gene's question, making everyone in the cell turn towards the doorway. "You are in prison in my laboratory, Gene Starwind."  
  
Standing outside their cell was a man in a white lab coat. He was tall and slender with the palest skin Jim had ever seen. He had sandy light brown hair streaked with white-gray strands. His face had a strange look to it. Nearly meatless cheeks clung to his bones. A pair of cold, gray eyes were wide with a look bordering on obsession. A slight sneer played on his pale pink lips.  
  
"Let me take a guess. You're Jerok Darkman," Gene said bluntly.  
  
A look of anger flashed through his eyes. "That's DR. Jerok Darkman to you, you unworthy ingrate!"  
  
"Whatever. Listen. We've got a little business to do with you, Dr. Psycho," Gene answered.  
  
"Why...you...why-HOW DARE YOU ADDRESS YOUR EMPEROR IN THAT MANNER!" Darkman bellowed.  
  
"Our emperor? What are you talking about?" Suzuka asked.  
  
Darkman didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and very cautiously pulled out an object. Gene blinked and gasped when Darkman unfurled his hand for them to see the object.  
  
"With this, my lovely little assassin. Witness, worms, what my years of hard work have blessed me with. The Helix Hourglass..."  
  
The Helix Hourglass was nothing like Gene expected. It was about five inches tall and had an arrangement in the shape of a triangle. There was a main tube with in the center with three surrounding it on each corner of the triangles holding them in place on both ends. The center tube was wider around than the ones around it, but instead of just a narrow center like the other three, this one had a spiral shape leading from the top opening to the bottom one. The three smaller tubes had sands colored gold, bronze, and silver while the middle on had white, shimmering sand.  
  
"With this, I shall claim my rise as emperor," Darkman continued softly as he looked fondly at the object in his hands.  
  
"That is Fred Lowe's," Gene said.  
  
Indignance flashed into Darkman's face. "That fool?! He is not fit to hold this piece of magnificence. NO ONE IS! Only I..."  
  
"What do you plan on doing with us?" Jim demanded.  
  
Darkman gave Jim a chilling smile. "You will be gifted to watch my rise to power before you are executed. It is my gift to you as the universe's emperor."  
  
"You won't get away with this! No one will let you!" Aisha yelled.  
  
"Ha! Then I'll just erase their pasts. Remember now. I do have the power to control time. Let them rebel so I can have the pleasure of wiping out their pathetic existences!" Darkman scoffed madly. His eyes had this far away look in them and he began to chuckle softly. "And besides. My technology is the most advanced type there is. My forces will take them out without breaking a sweat."  
  
What's up with this guy? Jim thought, a little nervous now. Just who are we up against?  
  
"Well. I must be going now, my subjects. My coronation awaits me," Darkman said and wandered away, still chuckling.  
  
"What a psycho!" Aisha exclaimed as the Outlaw Star's crew watched him leave.  
  
"We've got to get that hourglass away from him, guys. There's no telling what kind of damage he could do if he really becomes emperor," Gene said grimly.   
  
"But how are we gonna' get out, Gene?" Jim asked and glanced over at the hot pink beams of energy. "He wasn't kidding when he said his technology was advanced. Those are pure laser energy bars."  
  
Gene frowned and thought about it for a moment. Then he glanced up at Aisha and Suzuka. "I've got it."  
  
"What?" Aisha urged. They all gathered around Gene to hear his plan.  
  
"It's simple. Aisha, you and Suzuka pretend to fight. I mean really tear each other up. The guards will come running to split you up hopefully," Gene explained.  
  
"Hopefully?!" Jim cried incredulously.  
  
"At least I have a plan!" Gene snapped impatiently. He looked at the beautiful assassin and the Ctarl Ctarl. "Understood?"  
  
Both women nodded. Aisha spoke up, "But they took Suzuka's sword. How do we fight if she doesn't have her sword?"  
  
"It's a pretend fight, Aisha. Now hurry up and do it!" Gene answered. He glanced over at Jim and Melfina. "Go lay like you're unconscious."  
  
"I hope this works," Jim muttered. He and Melfina sprawled out on the floor carefully.  
  
"Alright. When I give you the signal, kick the wall as hard as you can okay, Aisha. Ready?" Gene asked the other two women.  
  
"Right."  
  
"Lets do it."  
  
"DAMNIT SUZUKA! SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU'RE SUCH A BITCH!" Gene screamed at the top of his lungs. He nodded to Aisha. She reared back her fist back and rammed it into the wall. A thunderous crashing sound exploded from the now deeply dented wall.  
  
Gene gave a high, animated cry of pain and quickly slumped to the floor. He winked at Aisha to go on with the plan as he heard the door to the prison block fly open and hurrying footsteps.  
  
"DON'T HIT GENE! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Aisha screamed and pounced on Suzuka just as two guys dressed in black uniforms with guns halted in front of their cell.  
  
"Hey! Stop!" one of the guards ordered and pointed his weapon at the brawling women. The other one fumbled to release the lock.  
  
As soon as the beams lit off, Gene sprang up and snatched the gun out of the first guard's hands. He fired before the man could recover. He crumpled in a heap of pain. Aisha and Suzuka were on the other man immediately. Aisha picked him up by the leg and flung him at the wall. He hit it with such force, they could hear the sickening crunch of his bones snapping. He sank to the floor.  
  
Gene picked up the second gun and handed it to Suzuka. Jim and Melfina stood up and looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Let's go get that maniac," Gene said and led them out of the cellblock after a careful look around.  
  
They were at the dead end of a long metallic walkway suspended above several other walkways. They seemed to spiral downward into a blur. Just how many stories were they up anyway?  
  
"Let's go," Gene whispered and took off. The crew ran after him. As they were about pass by a door on a lower story, the door hissed open and out stepped Darkman. Two green and black colored robots armed with weapons followed him.  
  
"Trying to escape? I'm afraid I can't allow that," Darkman said.  
  
Before Gene could do anything, one of the robots fired a sizzling beam at them.  
  
"LOOK OUT!" Gene yelled even as he hit the deck. The blast hit the part of the walkway Jim was standing on.  
  
Gene watched in horror as the walkway's support beams melted from the heat of the laser. The walkway became unstable and wobbled. A look of panic crossed Jim's face as the platform under him collapsed and he plummeted down into the abyss below.  
  
"JIM! NOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
  



	4. Time Warp

Outlaw Star: A New Dawn  
  
Author's Notes: I'm bored and was anxious to continue with this story so forgive me if it's boring or something.  
  
Chapter 4: Time Warp  
  
"JIM! NOOOOO!!!" Gene screamed as he saw his young partner tumble off along with the broken pieces of metal that the robot had just blasted. Gene dove after him futilely, but it was already too late.  
  
"Heh heh. What's the problem Mr. Starwind? You'll be joining your little partner soon enough," Dr. Darkman sneered sarcastically.  
  
Anguish like Gene had never known before ripped through Gene's heart. Jim...Jim was gone...Never again would there be the loud, opinionated worrywart of an eleven-year-old for him to argue with. Gene just kneeled there, staring down the spiral of platforms in shock.  
  
"You bastard..." He growled softly, tears springing to his eyes. For a moment he couldn't believe he was doing something he hadn't done in a while. He was crying.  
  
"What was that? Come now, Mr. Starwind, speak up so that the rest of us can hear you," Darkman taunted.  
  
"YOU BASTARD!" Gene screamed and whirled, firing at the same time. This took the robots by surprise and they couldn't react in time before the one who had killed Jim fell in a heap of scrap metal. Next to him, Suzuka had snapped out of her initial shock and fired at the other robot before it could react. Darkman stumbled backwards in surprise.  
  
Without even waiting for Suzuka to stop firing, Gene made a mad dash forward and hurled all of his weight at Darkman.  
  
"NO! YOU FOOL!" Darkman cried as he began to fall back. A glint caught Gene's eye. The Helix Hourglass was flying out of Darkman's pocket. Everything seemed to slow down as the artifact made contact with the platform and shattered. Shards of glass flew everywhere. The different colored sands spilled between the gaps in the platform.  
  
"NO! MY PRECIOUS TREASURE! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Darkman screamed.  
  
Suddenly, beams of white light started shooting out of the shattered Helix Hourglass. Gene squinted and took a step back. The light lit up the entire facility.  
  
"What the hell is going on?!" Aisha screamed. The lighted began to whirl like a tornado. Gene felt a powerful force propel him towards it. Resisting, Gene clung onto the metal railway.  
  
"The light! It's so bright!!!" Darkman cried as he was drawn into the twister. The invisible force that was drawing Gene and the others in was getting stronger. He felt his fingers losing their grip on the rail.  
  
"Ahh!" Gene heard Melfina scream. He twisted his head to see her fly past him towards the spiral, followed by a frantic Aisha. "Gene! Help!"  
  
"Melfina! Aisha!" Gene yelled, but it was too late. They were devoured by the light tornado. Suzuka went next, her grip on the rail obviously having no effect against the dominating force.  
  
Gene felt his fingers give out. His body was lifted off the ground and pulled into the cyclone of light. He squeezed his eyes shut by pure instinct.  
  
The next thing he knew, he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. It wasn't exactly unpleasant...just unusual. He opened his eyes a little to find that flashes of different colors were surrounding him. Then it was suddenly gone, and he was falling.  
  
Gene didn't have time to scream or anything before he plunged into cold water. Surprised, he fought his way to the surface. He waded in the water for a bit, gasping for air. Three other heads broke through the surface of the water. The others.  
  
"Gene! Where are we?" Melfina asked when she spotted him. The three women waded over to him.  
  
"I don't know, but we'd better get out of this water," Gene answered, relieved that they were okay.  
  
"Yeah! Aisha hates water!" Aisha shrieked.  
  
"There is a shore over there," Suzuka said, her voice still calm despite their situation. She nodded her head towards the direction behind Gene. He turned and saw the long stretch of sand.  
  
Using his powerful arms, Gene swam towards the shore. His mind did a replay of everything that had just happened. Sadness wafted through him when he remembered the part about Jim.  
  
Jim...I'm sorry I couldn't save you, kid...Gene thought, refusing to give into the painful emotion until they found their way out of this confusion.  
  
Land never seemed so blissful. Gene stumbled out of the water and crashed onto the sand, gasping for air into his tired lungs. Aisha was the next to make it on land. She sat looking extremely unhappy in her wet clothes. Suzuka and Melfina lay on the sand still for a moment.  
  
"Is...everyone...okay?" Gene asked at last. He reluctantly stood up and brushed some of the gritty sand off of him.   
  
"What in the world is going on?" Suzuka asked as she took a quick glance around. Gene, wondering what she meant, did the same. Weren't they just in Darkman's laboratory? How had they ended up on some desolate beach?  
  
Aisha's ears suddenly began twitching. She concentrated for a moment, frowning as she listened to something. Her eyes widened.  
  
"Hey! There's a town or something nearby! My great Ctarl Ctarl ears hear people!" Aisha exclaimed.  
  
"Where are they coming from?" Gene asked.  
  
"From over there," Aisha said, pointing to a harbor nearby that Gene had missed.  
  
"Let's go and find out where we are," He suggested to the women. They nodded in agreement and followed him.  
  
The harbor turned out to be a small pier lined up with fish stands and fishing boats. People of all types were rushing about. There were some small stands that sold fish and a seafood restaurant with a dangling sign.  
  
"What is this place?" Gene wondered. He sauntered over to one of the stands and addressed the man standing behind it. "Hey pal, just where are we?"  
  
The man looked surprised. "Why, you're in Gully Bay, the busiest bay on all of Dragon's Lair."  
  
"Say, wasn't there a lab around here?" Gene asked, hoping to get some real answers.  
  
The man blinked. "That old place his majesty used to own? It was tore down years ago!"  
  
Gene gulped. "His...majesty?"  
  
"Why yes. His majesty Emperor Jerok Darkman. Just where have you been the last five years anyway, pal?"   



	5. Confusion

Outlaw Star: A New Dawn  
  
Author's Notes: A friend of mine got mad because of my last few chapters and what happened in them. I just smiled and told her to keep reading. Things would turn out as she least suspects. Oh, and in response to the review I just got, I know Aisha and Suzuka were back already. They just happened not to join my story until then.  
  
Chapter 5: Confusion  
  
Gene stared at the man, his face twisted in shock as if he had just been punched in the gut.  
  
"Five years? What do you mean?" Gene asked, already suspecting an answer that he dreaded hearing. The man frowned at him. He gave Gene a look that suggested that he thought Gene was crazy.  
  
"You nuts or somethin' pal? The Emperor has ruled over the Universe for five years now," the man answered.  
  
"WHAT?!" Gene cried.  
  
"Just where have you been anyway? Living on one of those deserted planets?" the man demanded.  
  
"Tell me," Suzuka interrupted calmly. "Are you happy under Darkman's rule?"  
  
The man's eyes suddenly blazed up in anger. He glared fiercely at Suzuka and clutched the table so hard that his knuckles turned white.  
  
"YOU DARE CALL HIM BY HIS NAME WITHOUT ITS PROPER TITLE?! HOW DARE YOU QUESTION LOYALTY TO LORD AND MASTER DARKMAN!" He screamed, making Gene and the girls jump. What was this guy's problem?  
  
"Whoa, buddy. Just calm-" Gene started but didn't get a chance to finish. The man's ravings had started attracting attention from the others in the pier.  
  
"You're some of them Outlaws ain't you?" the man demanded, a mad gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Man, you're-"  
  
"EVERYONE! LISTEN UP! WE'VE GOT SOME OUTLAWS HERE!" he announced suddenly.   
  
There was an instant reaction from the other people standing around. Angry mutterings and scowls of pure hatred appeared on many of their faces. Several angry shouts rang out. Gene looked around in alarm as they were suddenly closed in by mobs of people.  
  
"What the hell?!" Gene grumbled as the angry mob advanced. Someone grabbed his arm roughly and jerked him backwards.  
  
Using the momentum of the stumble, Gene lashed out with his elbow and hit someone right in the stomach. Gene heard a muted oof and his arm were freed. He turned and rammed his knee into the man's stomach.  
  
Behind him, Aisha was causing quite a scene. She flailed wildly in random directions with her powerful arms and legs, sending people flying left and right. Then with a ferocious roar, she transformed into her powerful beast form. She and Suzuka flew into the crowd, fighting their way out.  
  
"Gene! Help!" Melfina cried as three men came near her.  
  
"Melfina!" Gene yelled and dove at the men to help her. Where was his Caster when he needed it? Gene stood in front of the bio-android and struggled to fight off the men.  
  
One of the attackers got a good hit onto Gene's left cheek. He grunted and stepped back, his defense broken. A leg flew towards his face and connected with a painful crack. Gene fell back onto the ground. The attackers relentlessly began kicking and punching him as he lied there helplessly.  
  
"Damn Outlaws!"  
  
"Outlaw scum!"  
  
"How dare you oppose Emperor Darkman!"  
  
"Bastards! Kill them all!"  
  
An ear-splitting explosion nearby suddenly drowned the inane and hate-filled protests out. Gene, now in a lot of pain and bleeding, felt the ground tremble violently underneath him and pieces of wood pelting him. The assaults on him ceased. The mob stopped beating on them for the moment as they turned to find out what was going on.  
  
"What the hell?" one man demanded angrily and then looked over to something Gene couldn't see from his position. What he did see was the man's face suddenly tighten in surprise. "Look! Is she another Outlaw?"  
  
"She must be! She's helping these bastards!" a burly woman answered.   
  
Curious despite his condition, Gene slowly turned his head and peered through a gap in the mob. He blinked when he saw a teenaged girl standing a distance away. She was a petite girl with orange-red hair that framed her serious face. She stood calmly near them, a gun raised a bit off from the crowd.  
  
Gene sat up a little and wiped the blood off of his face. He blinked several times to focus on what he was seeing and gasped when he realized what type of weapon the girl had. She was holding a Caster.  
  
"You bitch! What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you an Outlaw?" one man demanded and took a menacing step in her direction.  
  
Cold honey colored eyes locked on the man and the Caster was suddenly pointed straight into the crowd.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," She stated. "I won't hesitate to shoot you."  
  
"Oh yeah? Well I'll take my chances! Come on, let's get her!" the man shouted. Uproar of agreement went up from the crowd and they surged towards her, their previous victims forgotten.  
  
Gene managed to get to his feet and drag himself away as the incensed mob rushed away. He watched as the girl simply point the Caster at the dock underneath the crowd and fire. He flinched and closed his eyes as more wood was splintered violently. Pieces of it and water rained down onto him.  
  
Cries of surprise and pain rang out as the startled people fell through the massive hole in the wooden pier and fell into the water. The ones who had managed to escape the fall cowered away. Some were still foolish enough to continue trying to get to the girl.  
  
Gene could've sworn he saw her smirk before she moved. In a blur of movement, the redhead attacked her challengers. She grabbed one guy's descending fist and twisted it so that his wrist was in an unusual angle. Then she struck his forearm with the butt of the Caster.  
  
Whirling, she jumped and executed a gravity-defying kick to another man's face. Gene turned away when he felt a tug on his shirt. He turned to find a bruised Melfina looking at him intently.  
  
"Gene! We have to get out of here!" Melfina cried. Aisha, Suzuka's arm draped over her shoulders as she held her up, stumbled up to them.  
  
"Let's run for it!" Gene screamed. He gave a quick glance back in the direction of the mad chaos that was ensuing.  
  
Around the girl lay five unconscious men. She looked up at them and their eyes locked briefly. With amazing agility, she ran and did a high jump onto the roof of a shack next to them. Running along the roof, she made it past the hole and hopped down in front of them.  
  
"Hurry. This way," She ordered simply. And began running down the pier. Gene and the others followed, not sure what else there was to do.  
  
The stranger led them through the market place of the small dock. She seemed very alert and that made Gene a bit nervous. Was there more to worry about than some angry mob of people?  
  
As if someone had read his thoughts, two objects burst through the water. Gene recognized them as robots. The same robots that had been accompanying Darkman when they had last seen him. One of them fired, barely missing the girl and destroying a crate of fish nearby. They stopped short, looking at the pair of robots apprehensively.  
  
"Shit!" She hissed and gave Gene a quick glance. "You'd better take cover."  
  
"Right," Gene grabbed Melfina's hand and dove behind a stack of barrels. He peeked out at the girl. She dove aside and rolled as the robots unleashed another barrage of fire. She pointed the Caster at one of them and fired. It exploded, showering metal and flaming parts of it all over the place.  
  
The second robot fired at her. She jumped to her feet and bolted away. The robot wheeled and continued its advances. Out of no where another blast struck the robot in the back. It exploded in another burst of charred metal.  
  
"Merris!" a blond teenaged boy ran out from the corner and towards the girl. He looked over at Gene and halted abruptly. Cerulean blue eyes widened. The blond boy just stared at Gene, his jaw dropped in shock.  
  
"G-GENE?!"   
  
  



End file.
